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Home My WebLink About10A CR 21 and McComb StudyO~ PRIp.~ ~' ~' 4646 Dakota Street S.E. N: U ` x Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 i '~'nvivESO~ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: April 19, 2010 AGENDA #: 10A PREPARED BY: Frank Boyles, City Manager AGENDA ITEM: Consider Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the Expenditure of Funds to: 1. Provide a Cost Estimate for the Southern Alignment of CR 21, and 2. Completion of a Market Study by McComb with Respect to CR 21 Alignment. DISCUSSION: Introduction The purpose of this agenda item is to request that the Economic Development Authority authorize the expenditure of funds to complete a cost estimate for the CR 21 southern loop reconstruction option and for McComb to complete a market impact study regarding the three CR 21 improvement options. History CR 21 has been both a plus and a minus to the Prior Lake downtown area. On the positive side, the roadway brings a significant number of customers past the downtown area. Since existing volumes are expected to increase significantly, even more potential customers will be near the downtown area in the future. On the negative side, CR 21 literally bisects the downtown area, creating two smaller sections. The roadway makes it difficult for vehicles to cross from the north to south side and vice versa, restricting access and egress, particularly during peak hours. The same is true of pedestrians wishing to cross CR 21. Initially the County offered one option for expansion of the road on the existing right of way. That option, while capable of absorbing considerably more traffic, has the same disadvantages as the present roadway. Current Circumstances Recently, as part of the CR 21/Main Avenue/TH 13 Study, the City has asked the consulting engineering firm of Bolton & Menk to look at an alternate to the existing alignment which would address some of the downtown separation problems. This alternate would route CR 2,1 under Main Street which would be constructed as a bridge. Bolton &Menk has prepared design drawings and cost estimates for these two alternatives. Recently, the City Council briefly discussed a third alternate alignment. This alternative would align CR 21 southerly starting at Duluth and moving southeasterly to a point where it would align with Pleasant at Main Avenue and gradually continue northeasterly across the wetland at the southeast quadrant of the TH 13 / CR 21 intersection until it aligns once again with the existing CR 21 right of way east of the TH 13 / CR 21 intersection. www. cityofpriorlake. com R:'~~c~3n;:i1;2U9"u ~ag~nc~a ~e~~~stG~ ~~ iC!EE~~; ~'uP~e~ 1~r5~.7r;~$49 /Fax 952.447.4245 There have been no design drawings or cost estimates prepared for this option despite the fact that it is the only option that "reunites" the downtown into one area and actually expands the amount of commercial land available downtown. Bolton &Menk has proposed that this work can be completed at the cost of $9,080.00. In order for the City to decide which of the three CR 21 alignment options to choose, the Council needs to know how each option will affect the downtown as an economic activity center over the next fifty years. If none of the options has an appreciably negative impact, then the least expensive choice may be the best. On the other hand, if one option or the other is likely to improve the downtown business climate significantly, it may be the better choice even though initially it may be the most expensive option. Staff has asked Jim McComb, President of McComb Group LTD for a quote to complete a cost benefit analysis of the three alignments. The quote received (attached) was $30,600. Conclusion The Economic Development Authority should determine if it should proceed with both studies. ISSUES: The combined cost for the project costs and design study by Bolton &Menk, together with the cost benefit analysis prepared by McComb is $39,680. The benefits of conducting both studies are as follows: • The actual costs and design for the southern alignment will be known. • We will know how much additional downtown commercial developable land can be added as a result of this alternative. • We will confirm whether division of the downtown is a real or imagined economic development issue. • We will receive detailed information about the marketability of our downtown under each option. • We will have a better sense for the mix of retail, office and service uses appropriate for the downtown. • We will have economic development justifications for our roadway actions rather than unsupported opinions. The disadvantages associated with the study are: • Together they would cost the City another $39,680. • The studies will take time to complete. The collection of design/cost information and cost/benefit analysis information is essential. We have placed the south downtown reconstruction/streetscape project on hold until we have a better vision of the CR 21 plans. We are planning to complete the Arcadia/CR 21 intersection in 2011/2012. If indeed the south loop alignment is used, money could be saved at Arcadia by using temporary signals. In order to construct the Arcadia/CR 21 intersection next year, the City needs to complete the design in 2010. If the third alternate is F:`:~~ianvii~;201G k;en!~ a ~a~3rts?tl~ 1a 1t~',EC~i~, i~4~~;orr~~~ ~e C; 2~ a;i~ 2 preferred, the Arcadia intersection improvements could be made in a more temporary manner, potentially saving the City on design and construction costs. As the EDA is aware, the City expects to update its comprehensive plan in 2012 or thereabouts. The commercial portion of our current comprehensive plan relies upon a 2003 McComb Study, which is seven years old (copy attached). A great deal has changed in seven years. The staff, therefore, asked McComb for his costs to conduct both the cost benefit analysis for the three CR 21 roadway alignment alternatives, and update the citywide market analysis which was done in 2030. McComb quoted a total price for the two studies of $37,050 rather than $51,500 if the two are done separately. If McComb were asked to do both studies, and the Bolton &Menk design and cost estimate study were also done, the total cost would be $46,130. FINANCIAL The economic development budget contains $ 29,325 for professional services. IMPACT: In order to do all three studies, an additional $ 16,805 would be required. This amount could totally be drawn from contingency funds or derived in equally parts from contingency and street oversizing funds. ALTERNATIVES: The EDA has the following alternatives: 1. Authorize the Bolton &Menk study only for $9,080 to be paid for from contingency funds. 2. Authorize the Bolton &Menk study and the cost benefit analysis only for a total of $39,680 to be drawn from economic development and contingency. 3. Authorize the Bolton &Menk study and both McComb studies in the amount of $46,130 to be drawn from economic development and contingency. 4. Take no action and request additional information from the staff. RECOMMENDED Alternative #3. The single greatest variable affecting the City's downtown MOTION: redevelopment is the alignment of CR 21 and whether that alignment fosters or hinders commerce in the downtown area for the next 50 years. !"1Ce~rttci('i201'J ,ager,~a Re~.:.~rtsi~419 1tl`:C~~'. ~.~;,G~rn~, re CR < rat ~; O~ PRj~~ ~' ~ 4646 Dakota Street S.E. U ~ Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 SO'tP i~~ RESOLUTION 10-xxx A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNTY ROAD 21 ALIGNMENT THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA Motion By: Second By: WHEREAS, The 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan places a high priority upon the redevelopment of the Prior Lake Downtown area; and WHEREAS, County Road 21 will require improvement and expansion to carry the projected traffic flows; and WHEREAS, Two possible improvement alignments have been identified which include the current configuration and a bridge option; WHEREAS, A third alternative which would swing CR 21 south around downtown has been discussed; and WHEREAS, Additional design and cost information is needed to evaluate this option; and WHEREAS, The alignment decision regarding CR 21 should be based upon acost/benefit study; and WHEREAS, The results of the cost/benefit study will be input into the updated McCombs Study, which is required to update the City's Comprehensive Plan; and WHEREAS, McComb has quoted the price of $37,050 to complete both the cost/benefit analysis and to update the McComb Commercial Study Citywide; and WHEREAS, Projects including downtown streetscaping and the Arcadia/CR 21 intersection improvements are affected by the alignment ultimately chosen; and WHEREAS, The economic vitality of Prior Lake's Downtown impacts the entire community for decades to come. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. The completion of the design cost analysis by Bolton & Menk is ordered at a cost not to exceed $9, 080. 3. The completion of the cost/benefit study of the three CR 21 alignment alternatives and the update of the McComb Study is ordered at a cost not to exceed $37,050. 4. Funds for these expenditures are hereby allocated from economic development ($29,325) and contingency ($16,805). www. cityofpriorlake. com ~a;}~',Oi.16iC,lst"1...~~ tine n n t~~aei(~R ; ,f;~(~~<w::f'SLI. &~,:een~~~4Sy~L~tr Phone 952.447.9800 /Fax 952.447.4245 5. The Mayor and City Manager are authorized to execute the agreements necessary for the implementation of this resolution. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 19th DAY OF APRIL, 2010. YES NO M ser M ser Erickson Erickson Hedber Hedber Keene Keene Millar Millar Frank Boyles, City Manager R:tCounciE12010Agmda Reportsl0~ 19101EDA Resa3utian.dgc Page 2 of 2 € Cast _ ~~ ~~t t _ .~ ._Co.~ned ~+e Cie Cmdilioo~ Diu~o~mPriarL~ 1 ~ ~~ Dio~a~Tr~.PYea Rd~,l 9ies T~ F~~e R~ta7 9~0~0~1 ii6~~li~es~~ ~~~9 R~ SiesLps~s r.,r~r:.~..~ i,ioo >._aoo ~ i z~oa ~ zoo ~ zoo ' ~ #__ zso ,__a ; ___.._~... n~ - zso _, zso zoo ~. ..___ ---- ~ s E mo :o o~~ soo rte. i~oo i,zoo i~oa zoo zoo 3oa a _ ~o so ~ so If you have any questions, please call me at (612) 339-7000. Jim James B. McComb President McCOMB GROUP, LTD. 222 South Ninth Street Suite 380 Minneapolis, MN 55402 (612) 339-7000 (612) 338-5572 -Fax 4/12/2010